Fecteau: I Think Trump’s Crazy Too

Rhode Island's senior United States Senator Jack Reed was recently caught on a hot microphone saying “I think [President Donald Trump’s] crazy.” – I know terrible, isn’t it (sarcasm)? After all the sexist, racist, xenophobic, hateful, and disgusting comments uttered out of Mr. Trump’s mouth, anyone offended by Mr. Reed’s comments should come to grips with reality – if they even live in reality.

In fairness, Mr. Reed has uttered these comments referencing the budget process, and Trump’s ignorance of how the government operates. However, Mr. Reed might as well have been referencing the entire Trump presidency because it has been a roller-coaster ride of pure lunacy.

Mr. Trump’s behavior is not normal. Each day the American people wake up to a new controversy that would be fitting of a high school president, not the president of the United States. Mr. Trump has berated women on their looks, has demanded loyalty from the Boy Scouts of America, remains fixated on Mrs. Hillary Clinton, and criticized his own U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions (note: Trump can fire Mr. Sessions). Anytime the main stream media reports his “crazy” behavior, Mr. Trump simply labels it fake news. It should also be noted, Mr. Trump called the former director of the FBI a “nut job” in the White House talking to Russian government officials.

On the foreign stage, Mr. Trump’s outlandish behavior is something of legends. Mr. Trump has said it would be an honor to meet with the authoritarian ruler of North Korea Kim Jong-Un, someone the United Nations has deemed the equivalent of Adolf Hitler or even worse. More recently, Mr. Trump disclosed a covert CIA operation funding Syrian rebels over twitter – yes, Twitter. No adult should act this way; never mind the president.

Trump’s “crazy” behavior is apparently alarming enough members of Congress because they are taking steps to limit some of his executive power. Citing Mr. Trump’s erratic behavior, House Democrats led by Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland have quietly put forth a bill that would remove Mr. Trump from office if he was mentally or physically unfit to serve. Furthermore, members of both parties in the U.S. House of Representatives came together to strengthen sanctions against Russia and constrained President Trump’s ability to nullify the sanctions – looks like some members of Congress are just as concerned as Mr. Reed.

After everything we’ve seen so far, Mr. Reed’s comments were justified, and I just wish more of our elected leaders would say Mr. Trump is crazy far more publicly, rather than accidently on an open microphone. Mr. Trump has some serious issues, and his behavior is completely inappropriate. This is far beneath the dignity of the office he holds, but that is what happens when you elect a reality television star obsessed with attention as a president.

Matt Fecteau ([email protected]) of Pawtucket, Rhode Island was a Democratic candidate for office in 2014 and 2016. He is a former White House national security intern and Iraq War veteran. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewFecteau

Related Slideshow: RI Democrats React to Trump’s Budget - 2017

"Rhode Island is making strong progress to provide our people with the education and job training they need to be successful and to expand access to affordable, quality health care to virtually everyone in our state.

Even as we analyze President Trump's budget in the coming days to determine its specific impacts on Rhode Island, I appreciate the members of Rhode Island's Congressional Delegation for their leadership and advocacy, and I join them in calling on their colleagues in Washington, D.C. to stop the Trump administration from making massive cuts to health care, public schools, affordable housing, and other programs that Rhode Islanders rely upon."

“In March, President Trump released a budget outline that I strongly condemned for its drastic cuts to programs that help everyday Americans. Unfortunately, the President’s full budget proposal continues these harmful policies by gutting programs that invest in our economy, create jobs and provide crucial assistance to families across the country.

This proposal slashes funding for education, food assistance and health care for low-income seniors, children and people with disabilities. It makes cuts to worker training, environmental protection, and investments in medical research and advanced manufacturing. These are not mere luxuries, but programs that make meaningful differences in the lives of Rhode Islanders.

Congress must reject this cynical and misguided budget. Instead, we should work together in a bipartisan manner, as we did on the recently passed 2017 funding bill, to find a balanced approach to funding priorities that will support families, promote economic growth and provide for our national security.”

“If a budget is a statement of your priorities and values, then Donald Trump’s budget shows he doesn’t understand the challenges facing honest, hardworking Rhode Islanders. This is a budget written by the wealthiest Americans for the benefit of the wealthiest Americans. But it’s a setback for the middle class. It makes life harder for anyone who’s trying to punch a ticket to the middle class.”

Donald Trump has already proposed a huge tax cut for billionaires. But the budget he released today says everyone else is on their own. This budget eliminates hundreds of millions of dollars for job creation. It zeroes out funding for workforce training and good-paying manufacturing jobs in Rhode Island. And it makes it even harder for young people to succeed by cutting teacher training, eliminating afterschool funding, and making it harder to pay off student loans.”

This budget does nothing to address Rhode Island’s crumbling infrastructure. It eliminates the TIGER grant program, which is critical to supporting local infrastructure projects like the new commuter rail station in Pawtucket. And it cuts funding for public transit by $928 million.”

And most worrisome of all, this budget makes our towns and cities less safe. It actually cuts funding for firefighters. It cuts billions from the EPA and other resources to protect the water we drink and the air we breathe. And it slashes $978 million from the Army Corps of Engineers – meaning Rhode Island will be less prepared for hurricanes and have fewer resources to protect the quality of our waterways.”

Plain and simple, this is not a budget that any Member of Congress should be comfortable supporting. Along with my colleagues in the House Democratic Leadership, I will do everything I can to reverse these devastating cuts and shape a budget that invests in the future of our country and puts honest, hardworking families first.”

“This budget is reckless, plain and simple. The President proposes massive cuts to Medicaid, breaking yet another campaign promise. He seeks to decimate the federal government’s central command in the battle against the opioid crisis affecting communities from Burrillville to Westerly. He pursues tens of billions of dollars in cuts to student loans and loan forgiveness programs.

His plan would slash funding for research into life-saving cures; lay waste to endowments that support Rhode Island’s world-class cultural institutions; hamstring the EPA so big polluters can poison our air and water; and weaken NOAA, sapping critical resources for coastal economies like Rhode Island’s. The list goes on.

These senseless, irresponsible choices serve one purpose: to pave the way for tax cuts for the very wealthiest. The good news is that this extremist proposal will go nowhere in the Senate. I look forward to moving past this political stunt of a budget and working on one the American people will support.”

“President Trump’s budget is bad news for Rhode Island because it weakens our economy and places new burdens on families, businesses, and communities across the country.

The Trump budget takes a less is more approach: less investment in education, health care, transportation and safety for the general public and more pollution, outsourcing jobs overseas, and tax breaks for the wealthy and well-connected.

This irresponsible budget would be a real setback for middle-class families and seniors in particular. The $800 billion in Medicaid cuts could cause over 10 million low-income Americans to lose their health coverage. If this budget were enacted, more elderly Americans could be forced to go from assisted living to living on the streets. That is immoral and ill-advised.

The Trump cuts also threaten federal funding for public education, medical research, job training and economic development. These cuts are counterproductive and won’t achieve real cost-savings. In fact, they would impede economic growth.

Families with limited incomes who are trying to make ends meet get hit hardest by the Trump budget. It takes food, health care, and retirement security away from children, seniors, and people with disabilities while adding funds for an ineffective border wall and tax cuts for millionaires. It eliminates the LIHEAP energy assistance program, Community Development Block Grants, and many other critical, cost-effective programs that have a positive impact on Rhode Island.

While our military deserves to be well-funded, cutting diplomacy and foreign aid won’t help prevent war. These are the wrong priorities for America and don’t reflect our core values.

I will work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to fight these disastrous cuts and enact a more balanced, fiscally responsible budget that focuses on job creation and strengthening the middle-class.”